New North Carolina community requires 'patriot' owners to fly the American flag on all properties

A new retirement community in Gastonia, North Carolina known as "1776 Gastonia" is going all-out on the theme of patriotism — to the point where bylaws will require every resident to fly an American flag on their house, reportedThe Guardian.

"The 17 June groundbreaking of a future suburban neighborhood in Gastonia, North Carolina, had all the trappings of a campaign rally. Brock Fankhauser, the real estate developer of 1776 Gastonia, waved to onlookers from the open top of a sport-utility vehicle; his wife, Nicole, was by his side, wearing a cowboy hat and matching T-shirt with the development’s namesake year, referring to the American Revolution," reported Victoria Bouloubasis. "This development, which the company has described as 'where freedom lives', is for homeowners 55 and older. And not just any homeowners: 'patriots' who will be required to fly the US flag on their properties, on a pole provided and maintained by the subdivision. Each 1776 community (Fankhauser plans on more) will also donate a home with no mortgage, free of cost, to a wounded veteran through the nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes."

Fankhauser describes his new community as a "movement" and when asked by reporters how he defines "patriotism," he said, “We’re in a valley right now, and to the extent that I can have any impact whatsoever on bringing us from a valley towards a peak, it would give me tremendous satisfaction.”

According to The Guardian, Fankhauser was a donor to former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign; however, he denies that his "patriot" subdivision has any political affiliation or message behind it other than generic love for America.

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Restrictive covenants like requiring homeowners fly an American flag are generally enforced by homeowners' associations, which are set up as part of a majority of new subdivisions in the United States. These local entities have exploded in prevalence as suburban sprawl has made it more difficult for cities to manage services directly; they have become a de facto privatized city government that can enforce rules with fines. Only a small handful of states, including Florida, have laws meaningfully regulating the powers HOAs have and protecting the rights of residents.

As a consequence, horror stories abound across the country of HOAs abusing and threatening residents, including an interracial lesbian couple in Raleigh, North Carolina who alleges their HOA targeted them for hanging a Black Lives Matter sign inside their window. Another HOA in El Dorado Hills, California attracted controversy in 2016 after it was discovered to still have a "Whites Only" bylaw on the books.